Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Migrants of Multiple Earths Thesis: Part 7

Four other prominent characters made the trip to Earth-One from Earth-Two: Manhunter aka Paul Kirk, Dinah Lance aka the second Black Canary, Jim Corrigan aka the Spectre and John Smith aka the second Red Tornado. Others who left their home worlds for good during the cosmic Crisis event were the Earth-One Flash and Earth-Two Freedom Fighters.

The scarlet spinning android known as the second Red Tornado was created on Earth-Two while it was merged with the Tornado Champion who had visited from Earth-One. After a few years on Earth-Two, the Champion brought its Tornado persona back to its native dimension, leaving behind the Justice Society for the Justice League. Who was the android's counterpart? That would be John Stewart aka the second Green Lantern of Earth-One, while the Tornado Champion found a doppleganger in Jonni Thunder's Thunderbolt.

During a near collision of parallel planets over a decade ago, only the Spectre kept both Earths One and Two behind. Surprisingly, this wasn't the first time this had occurred, as he also had to keep Earths Two and X separated decades earlier, And while he seemingly dissipated he actually just transferred to the Justice League's Earth, leaving his Society teammates behind. His vacancy was filled by the Tornado Champion, which traveled from Earth-One to Earth-Two in order to merge with Red Tornado. Years later, Tornado would move to Earth-One, while Spectre would eventually return to Earth-Two more than once prior to Crisis.

Paul Kirk had been recruited by the Grand Master, himself an android of Oan origin, from Earth-One into the Manhunter corps as a human agent. How do we know Grand Master journeyed to Earth-Two in the pre-Crisis multiverse? Because it was later revealed that another agent, Harlequin, had been given her alien illusion-generating goggles from the self-same revenging robot race. I.E. when Paul Kirk traveled to Earth-One in 1946, leaving his fellow All-Stars behind, and remained in a coma until the mid-1970's to be revived and then killed off shortly thereafter... he was simply returning the favor of his Master's years long trip to Earth-Two in the decade of the 40's.

Dinah Laurel Lance was an infant when, afflicted by a metahuman gene giving her uncontrollable sonic powers, she was sent for a prolonged stay in the Thunderbolt Dimension until she was of age to assume the mentality of her mother, the original Black Canary, and leave her native Earth-Two for Earth-One and the Justice League. She would later help out the heroes on Earth-S, while on Earth-Four another heroine named Aquagirl of Earth-One gave her life for that world. And Canary's slumber for decades mimics that of Power Girl of her Earth.

Supergirl lost her life during an epic battle in the Anti-Matter Universe, however shortly before this she had encountered six clones of herself created by the criminal Council of Chicago. Each was six-inches in height and had all of the Maiden of Might's power, until gold Kryptonite stripped them of this. Merging into one normal-sized woman while in suspended animation, it was this Linda Danvers who took over Supergirl's alter ego after the Girl of Steel's death. So while Earth-Two's Power Girl continued to have a long life and long career, her new counterpart the clone would have a similarly long yet uneventful life herself. However, there were still future exploits for Supergirl although these were in the future as a member of the Legion of Superheroes, this Girl of Steel being a young version of the heroine that courageously died.

Similarly, during the Crisis in the Anti-Matter Universe, Earth-One's Flash aka Barry Allen was held captive in the Anti-Matter Universe until he saved reality during the Crisis at the cost of his very life, himself dissipating as well. However, as later explained during his Secret Origin, his body changed into Speed Force energy that journeyed back through time to the night when he was first struck by lightning. With Barry being the lightning that struck his younger self, he relived his life as the Flash.

Several of the Freedom Fighters who journeyed from Earth-Two to Earth-X during the Crisis mirrored several heroes from Earth-One to traveled throughout the Multiverse, with equal numbers leaving both universes where they had originated.

Additionally, the Monitor of Earth-One's universe perished at this time (his "fill-ins" in other positive matter universes such as Earth-Two were the Controllers who each took charge of alternate universes after leaving Earth-One). Pariah of the extinct Earth-Omega was selected by the Monitor to assume his place monitoring the affairs of the Multiverse.

In each instance, a legendary champion of justice was removed from their world, though another would keep their memory alive elsewhere through their noble actions towards their fellow man.